Bullet Journal

[mercifulTehlu]

I've just found out about this fab way of organising your life, thanks to a kind poster on the 'people who are efficient ' thread. I was wondering if any other MNers are Bullet Journalers? here is the website if anyone's interested.

It's only a couple of days since I started my journal, but I can already see that it's going to revolutionise my ability to be organised. I've tried loads of apps, lists etc in the past, but have never really hit on a system that worked for me. I have very high hopes of this one though (plus it involves pretty stationery )!

I have a semi-bujo which I use in a travellers notebook (fancy name for a notebook holder - Google midori if you want to see what they look like). So I have one of my notebooks set up with the usual index, daily log, lists etc and the task/events icon key . But I then have a second notebook which is my diary and monthly overviews. Both notebooks are held together in the same travellers notebook. Perhaps this kind of set up might suit others who are struggling with a hardcore BuJo 😀

www.wilko.com/glue-tape+corrector-fluid/wilko-washi-tape-x4-rolls/invt/0414043

smurfing - I got melon flavoured liqueur on my first look. only, in my jet lagged state, I read "mushroom" and thought "bleh"!

I should probably go to bed, I think I've exceeded even my usual level of weirdness.

Midori might be useful for many things, thanks. (the notebook, not the drink).

Zing. You need need the calindex extension bulletjournal.com/future-log-the-hope-method/.
Mine looks a tad different but it's totally changed how useful BuJo is for me.

IC - it may be tiredness but I feel like that calindex is for people who have very very complex lives.

Also, don't they file? If I had a meeting with an accountant I'd have a bunch of papers ready for it, which can't be put in a BuJo, and I know where they are - I wouldn't need to put a note anywhere for it.

IC

Yes, thanks, I'd seen Calindex, but right now it's just not for me.
The next 10 months will see our house extension and I predict an immensely stressful time.
I just don't want to add to the stress by taking away a method that has worked for me and replacing it with a panic inducing one!
I will re-visit the "hard-core" BuJo idea next year when we are on calmer waters.

MiniZing is still in feverish velcro-baby mode (one of the molars have now broken through - hurrah!) so I have been slowly filling my Craft BuJo with past projects logs today. A lovely walk down memory lane.

What advice for an over-worked teacher? Did my list, ie, I gathered together all the tasks I have to do and it's all sitting in a crate. I can't muster the enthusiasm to start and with so much to do in too short a time, even with the best plan, just overwhelmed by it all. I'm eyeing up the bin!

Indigo -

Tbh I think that the BuJo doesn't sound suitable for an exercise in ruthless efficiency. Clearly a lot of people just enjoy the process but that doesn't sound like what you need.

I haven't read the whole thread so if anyone did find it good for ruthless efficiency, do share.

one poster recommended software called Tick Tick - haven't looked it up yet but your workload made me think of it.

sometimes you just have to start!

small achievable tasks to start with - even something as simple as taking the stuff out of the crate and putting it into relevant piles. and then a cup of tea or whatever you like.

Then set a timetable - but make it realistic

Indigo I've only just started using a bujo at home but I've had one A4 notebook for school stuff for some time and have found it a revelation - no more lost bits of loose paper, trying to remember where I filed notes from which meeting etc. What I was missing though was the index, and I think that will make all the difference going forward.

lorilei my life isn't too complicated. I find it useful.

In the accountant scenario I would probably list the papers I need to take and then then the night before check the list and put them in a folder.

I also put actual words in mine which helps a bit

zing that sounds super stressful and I'd be worried about trying something new out too

Indigo - I'm mostly a sahm atm but was a teacher for 20 years and am almost certainlyabout to go back to teaching full time for the first time in 10 years !

I intend to use my BuJo when I go back and intend to include work tasks in it. My teacher's planner will be just for my lesson planning and marks.

Was there specific advice you wanted about how to use the BuJo as a teacher, or is it just the overwhelming workload which is stalling you (I can well understand that!).

To answer your questions about dealing with regular events and forward-planning, Zing ...

I have an additional 'weekly schedule' page which has things that happen every week (from kids' clubs to putting the bins out). I check it when I'm starting each day's journal.

The forward-planning seems to work fine for me tbh. Not that much goes in my future log because I don't often have many things planned that far in advance. I generally put events straight in the calendar page for that month.

Some people like to have a week-view page though, presumably at the beginning of each week's daily journal entries. That would be more duplication though.

If anyone is after a budget planner WHSmiths have 20% off notebooks arm. I got a lovely A5 soft cover notebook with a pocket in the back and an elastic closure for just over £6. It's ruled pages but I don't mind that. I've just ordered a pen loop to make it perfect.

I've ditched the future log and written up the months across a double page (leaving two double spreads for monthly tasks between each month). From years of diary use I know this will work for me but I know it goes against true hardcore bujo.

On each double spread for the month I have a page for me and then I have drawn columns on the opposite page for each of my family (nicked the idea from mum's office diaries which is the closest thing to a functioning diary I've ever had).

I have also set up an abbreviations page so I can just use abbreviations for the children's activities which should save space.

I've also colour coded the relevant months on the index by colouring a little box on the edge of the page and matching it on the relevant month's pages. Obviously this necessitated new pens...

Obviously this necessitated new pens...grin

I think there's probably a need for a "ooh stationery" thread on MN!

Thanks for your replies. The index seems to be the common thread that proves to be the epiphany and I agree, I probably need an A4 book to contain papers for reviews and curriculum planning. With the index I can move planning forward.

Tesco have an A4 bound book. Or perhaps I have a concertina file which cross references to the Bujo book? Shall experiment and that feels like the change I needed to get me going.

Thanks again

Hi everyone! You've probably all seen this already but options for future planning. I don't have any future planning in my bujo at the mo, but going to try the layout in pic 2 for March. Also think I might try a weekly view at the start of each week too. February was just daily to-do lists and monthly habit trackers for me, but I'm getting my head around everything more and more I think :)

Anyway thought that might be helpful, the Alastair Method one looks particularly interesting!

I'm happy with the future log system atm too - I have an A4 notebook though, so a third of a page is plenty (although I've just gone into two columns in the March box). I don't feel the need to use the BuJo for writing down regular activities (although I like Tehlu's idea of just having one page for the weekly schedule) as we have a family shared Google calendar and a huge wipe-clean 5 week calendar in the kitchen. So we all know what everyone else is doing all the time anyway. My BuJo is just for me and my things that I need to get done.

Bendy

Alistair method seems good at first but as I was setting it up I started getting v frustrated.
Because if I put random dates somewhere, as they come up, why not just put it in a diary?
I couldn't possibly see the benefit of setting up pages after pages of that future log when it's already printed out in a diary, which by default is self-indexed.

And the part that bothered me the most is that if I don't leave enough pages I'll run out of space and setting up different pages elsewhere in the book defeats the purpose of "all together" and if I leave too many pages I waste space.
It's no harder to flick through a diary then to search for an indexed page.
Again, I only mean it regarding date bound tasks/events - and when they change you'd end up with a mess...arrghhh I can't bear how illogical this is (for me).

I see what you mean, Zing, although for me, the 'all together' benefit of the BuJo is all about having all my lists, calendar etc all together in the same book, not the collections themselves all together in the same place in the book iyswim. And that, plus the index, is what makes it better than a diary (for me, anyway).

If you need a more comprehensive future log/calendar system with space for more events etc, maybe it would be best to put all of that at the beginning of the journal, rather than set out each month's one and leave pages for the daily journal. That way you wouldn't have the problem of wasting or running out of space.

I'm sorry you're not finding it so helpful . I hope you find a way to make it work for you. It certainly seems from the online BuJo community that some of them have adapted the system fairly radically to suit their purposes.

Yes I don't think the Alastair Method will ever be one I try. Bit too clinical looking for me. And that does sound super frustrating Zing!

QUESTION! I have been wondering... I'm going to do a 3-month future log next month. So March, April, May, put any appts in there. Then the next month, I guess you do one for April, May, June. Then the next month do one for May, June, July.

Is that the way it normally works, or do people just wait until June to do the next quarter, June, July, August? Because if that's the case, what happens when you make an appointment for August in March? If that is how it's usually done, I've never seen anyone explain it .

I am so slow, taking me ages to get my head round the future log haha!

Trailing out a weekly planner this week. Think I'll probably just end up doing this plus a 3 month view future plan.

Trailing out..... *trying out!!

I don't know, Bendy! I have a 6 month future log, and so far I haven't needed to put anything further ahead than that. Presumably people have the same problem with normal calendars and diaries though - once you get past about August you'll potentially have things for next year but nowhere to write them.

I'm slightly coming to the conclusion that I must have a very easy, boring life, as I don't seem to be having any problems with scheduling stuff . I may laugh, but it's sadly true. I have no exciting events on the horizon at all...

Ah me neither honestly Merci, but I'm a chronic 'what-if'-er! Terrible habit!